Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-22
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY %. 1887
The West Virginia Debt.

Haven't we shown our readers over
and over again that West Virginia does
not acknowledge that she owes any
debt? 1t hasn't been two weeks since
we printed Governor PEIRPoIST's letter
TO that effect. And yet here is para
graph from the last issue of the Wheel
ing Register, which seems to imply
that there might be such a thing as
West Virginia debt. That paper asks :
"Who are Messrs. J. G. Maben and
T.. s. Jemison that they should pre-
slime 10 come before the Legislature OF
West Virginia and ask that our State
pay SS,0O0,000 of the Virginia debt ?
We never heard of these men and
have nothing TO do with them. If our
State ever assumes the payment of any
part of the Virginia debt the settlement
is to be made with Virginia, and not
with representatives of Wall street"
Mr.. MABEN is of good old Virginia
stock. He is Richmonder by birth.
He resides in New York city now. A
good many members of the Legisla-
ture will recall him as the gentleman
who in SO gentlemanly manner en-
deavored last winter to persuade them
to do something to bull West Virginia
certificates. He and his associates ask
ed nothing from Virginia except as
sistsnce in securing from West Vir-
ginia whatever sum that little State
could be induced to pay to the holders
OF the West Virginia certificates.
Our Wheeling contemporary speaks
of the "Virginia debt" 1t has no
idea of admitting that West Virginia
owes any debt, and declares that if
West Virginia ever assumes the payment
of any part of the Virginia debt, the
settlement is to be made with Virginia.
That is to say, West Virginia knows
that Virginia doesn't want nor need any
better settlement than that OF 1871,
under which fifteen millions were turn
cd over to West Virginia, which sum,
bearing interest at 6 per cent, has now
grown to about thirty millions. She
knows that we have more than thirty
millions of our own debt, besides the
West Virginia Zone third" and that
we can't possibly pay our own two
thirds. So West Virginia can safe
]y. offer to await settlement
with Virginia, as Virginia must
perforce decline to ask for any settle
ment that would add to her already I'M
manageable debt. The holders of the
West Virginia certificates desire Vir-
GINA to sue West Virginia for settle
ment but, as We have said, why should
Virginia want any new settlement PES
pecially when she knows that il the Su-
preme Court of the United States were
TO decide that she owes twenty, ten, or
five millions of the debt long ago as
signed to West Virginia, she would
have to repudiate the entire amount so
found to be o part of her debt? We are
unable to handle thirty-tive millions.
Why should we take anew burthen upon
our already broken shoulders Or
rather, why should we agree to ask the
Supreme Court of the United States to
throw upon our shoulders a burthen
which we know we should be compelled
at once to throw off?
We know the people of West Virginia.
Nobody will ever induce them to pay
one million of the Virginia debt and
il is folly to expect them to pay eight
millions. AS well ask Virginia TO pay
a hundred millions. 1t would be just
as easy to induce Virginia to pay this
sum as to induce West Virginia to pay
eight millions.